The present invention relates in general to heat exchangers, and, more particularly, to heat exchangers for use in recovering flue heat from a furnace.
In recent years it has become increasingly important to find efficient ways of heating buildings. This problem affects not only home owners, but all those who are involved in heating homes, such as renters, apartment owners and the like. Furthermore, even businesses are faced with this problem. In fact, anyone who must heat any type of building is constantly searching for ways of increasing the efficiency of the heating unit or systems used.
The problem of maximizing the efficiency of heating systems has engendered many devices. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,147,303, 2,032,553, 4,103,735, 4,044,950, 3,944,136, 2,764,391, 2,362,940, 2,343,542, 3,124,197, 3,813,039, 3,934,798 and 4,050,628.
However, these devices suffer several drawbacks. Firstly, the devices, once installed, are difficult to remove for servicing, cleaning or replacement of a heat exchanger unit. Secondly, the heat exchangers do not mix the air being heated as well as such air could be mixed, and do not expose that air to heat exchanger heating elements as long as possible. Longer exposure to heating elements and good mixing of the air exposed to those heating elements will increase the amount of heat transferred to that air by those heating elements as that air passes through the heat exchanger.